Following a postponed match versus the Clemson Tigers on Friday, the ‘Canes took the courts on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to take on the No. 24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Doubles matches kicked off the afternoon, in which Georgia Tech was dominant. Their No. 12 ranked pairing of Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura took care of UM’s No. 56 pairing of Xinyi Nong and Isabella Pfennig 6-3 up on court one. GT also ruled court two. Alejandra Cruz and Given Roach defeated Miami’s Antonia Balzert and Leonie Schuknecht in a 6-3 battle. With the doubles matches quickly clinched by the Jackets, UM’s Audrey Boch-Collins and Alexa Noel were unable to complete their match against Kylie Bilchev and Mahak Jain, in which it was tied 4-4 at the stoppage of play.
The ‘Canes and Yellow Jackets proved to be evenly matched throughout the afternoon as five out of six matches went to three sets. Despite her double loss, Nong returned to the court to face Sharabura again, sealing the deal in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Georgia Tech followed by taking back-to-back courts to extend their lead as freshman Scarlett Nicholson succeeded over Schuknecht 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (9-7), and Cruz went back and forth with Balzert in a 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 victory. No. 16 Noel kept her solid junior campaign going as she earned her sixth-ranked win of the spring season over No. 45 Lee, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Tech clinched the match with Bilchev’s hard-fought 7-6 (15-13), 1-6, 6-4 win over Miami’s Pfennig. The Canes struck just a bit late as No. 107 Boch-Collins defeated Jain, 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-3, on court five to round out the day.
Miami’s next match will be headlined at the Miami Open, held at Hard Rock Stadium, in which they will play Boston College on Friday, March 29th.
